Tag Archives | sea salt

I’ll be the first to admit it….there is SOMETHING about movie theater popcorn that is utterly delicious. And, no visit to the movie theater feels complete without it.

I also know that just two or three handfuls isn’t enough of this addicting, salty, crunchy snack. Before you know it your down to the crumbs….and those can’t be left behind either! I hope I’m not alone with this…

Unfortunately, the traditional movie theater popcorn doesn’t do much for our health. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest a medium popcorn and soda combo at a Regal movie theater is calorically comparable to three McDonalds Quarter Pounders with 12 extra pats of butter!!!!

Give me a minute while I pick my jaw up off the ground…..

If you have worked with me, heard me speak or attended one of my workshops you know that I’m not one to dwell on calories. Using calories is a misguided way of choosing healthy foods, in my opinion. To put is simply – 300 calories of broccoli and 300 calories of jelly beans just are not the same nutritionally speaking.

However, the comparison of popcorn to fast food and a load of butter take it to a whole new level. This is NOT ok – especially since sitting and watching a two-house movie isn’t exactly a super energy burning activity.

Aside from the ridiculous number of calories in that box of popcorn we should also talk about the QUALITY of the ingredients. Popcorn ingredients and process varies from theater to theater. But, suffice to say that cheap, low quality ingredients are the norm everywhere. They want to make max profit on that $8 box they’re selling!

Corn is one of the main GM (genetically modified) foods in the US, so you can be sure that this is the kind movie theaters are popping up into those white clouds of crunchy goodness. GM foods have become a concern for many in regards to our health and environmental impacts.

But the yumminess of our popcorn doesn’t stop there. The oil and salt is what makes eating it so satisfying! Many years ago movie theaters used coconut oil to make their popcorn but it has since been demonized as being an unhealthy saturated fat (in case you haven’t heard, coconut oil is NOT bad for you!). In response theaters started popping corn using low quality, canola oil – a VERY unhealthy trans fat. The salt is your traditional, iodized salt which has been depleted of critical minerals. Adding that buttery topping? You’re squirting artificial flavorings, colors and who knows what other weird stuff on there.

I’m not here to ruin your next movie theater experience. I want to give you an amazing alternative that will satisfy the biggest salt craving and add some wonderful nutrients to this normally guilt inducing snack.

Bring your big purse and sneak a few bags into your next movie date…..not that I’m speaking from experience here….

I do recommend getting a air popcorn popper. They usually run no more than $20 and will provide you will endless bowls of delicious, fresh, chemical free snacking. And, a cheap movie snack!

Sea Salt Popcorn with Kale Crumbles
Serves 3-4

Ingredients

For the kale crumbles
1 large bunch of kale (you can also use bagged kale if you prefer)
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
sea salt

2. Remove ribs from kale and cut into large pieces (1 1/2 to 2 inches). Place kale pieces on a baking sheet and drizzle with the melt coconut oil. Toss until well coated. You want the kale to be slightly coated with oil, not dripping. Sprinkle with a few pinches of sea salt.

3. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for about 20 minutes, turning the leaves halfway through. Keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly. Remove from oven when most of the kale is crisped – often not all will crisp up in the oven, but will finish while the kale cools on the pan. Place the pan on a heat safe surface until the kale cools completely.

4. Once the kale is cool, crumble it in your hands into a small bowl. Set aside.

Instructions – popcorn

1. While the kale is in the oven you can make your popcorn using an air popper.

2. If you don’t have an air popper you can do it on the stovetop. Using the biggest pot you have heat about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil over medium heat. When hot add your corn, cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low (the temperature may vary depending on your stove). Shake the pot every 30-45 second to keep the kernels moving around so they don’t burn. Covering the pot lid with a dishtowel can help keep the heat from your hands. Keep shaking until you hear popping, turn off the heat and let the pot sit on the stove until the popping stops. You might want to give it a shake or two while the corn pops to keep the kernels moving.

3. Once your popcorn is done, pour it into a bowl, drizzle with the melted coconut oil and sprinkle with salt, nutritional yeast (if using) and kale crumbles. Don’t go too crazy with the salt! Don’t forget the kale has some salt on it and the nutritional yeast also has a salty flavor. Taste and add more salt if needed.

You have certainly heard about the powers of sea salt and are maybe even using some regularly in your cooking. I have written about why it’s best to choose a colored sea salt over regular iodized table salt here.

While I do use pink sea salt in my cooking on a daily basis I also drink a salt water solution called sole every morning. Let me explain…

What is sole?

The word sole is derived from the Latin word for sun “sol.” Sole means “liquid sunlight” or “liquid light energy.” Essentially, sole is water that has been fully saturated with natural crystal salt. Salt does not indefinitely continue to dissolve in water. When it reaches 26% salinity the water has been fully saturated and cannot absorb any more of the salt.

How is sole helpful for the body?

Natural crystal sea salt contains all the minerals and trace elements of which the human body is made – over 80 in all!. Drinking sole provides the body with these minerals and some of the following health benefits:

Flushes heavy metals from the body such as mercury, lead, arsenic and amalgam

Rebalances pH levels in the body

Improves overall mineral status in the body

Can reduce muscle cramps through the introduction of minerals like magnesium and potassium

Can dissolve and eliminate sediments which lead to stones and various forms of rheumatism like arthritis and kidney and gall bladder stones

Stimulates and aids in proper digestion and food assimilation

Helps balance blood pressure. It can reduce high blood pressure and raise low blood pressure because of it’s ability to restore balance in the body

Improve skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis

Reduce and eliminate sugar addiction and other addictions

According to Water & SaltThe Essence of Life “People with rheumatic illnesses such as gout, arthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis, having already developed deposits in their joints, should regularly drink sole to keep the body within the frequency pattern. This will result in the body slowly breaking down the deposits, metabolizing and releasing them.”

How to make sole

Essentially, drinking sole is a powerful but easy way to gently cleanse the body on a daily basis. I have always had a hard time remembering to take supplements regularly. But, drinking my sole every morning has been very easy and been a regular practice for me for almost 2 years.

Here is how to make sole:

Fill a glass jar or container about 1/4 of the way with several crystal salt stones or pink sea salt. Cover the salt with clean, pure water. If you aren’t sure about the quality of your sink water buy a bottle of FIJI water just for this purpose. Cover the container with a plastic lid. Don’t use metal as it will corrode.

After about 2 hours check the salt to see if it has dissolved. If it has then add more salt. Keep doing this until the water can no longer dissolve any more salt. At this point the water has reached a 26% salt saturation level (26 parts salt to 100 parts water). Now you have sole!

As you use your sole be sure that there is always salt in the water to keep the 26% salt saturation level constant. You can always add more water as the water level begins to drop.

How to use your sole

Using sole couldn’t be easier. Here’s how I do it:

Your sole can be stored anywhere. I keep mine on the kitchen counter which helps me remember to take it. But, the bathroom would also work. Anywhere you’ll remember to take it everyday. It will keep indefinitely since salt is naturally antifungal and antibacterial.

Do this first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything. I use this as my morning hydration.

Fill a glass with about 1 cup of room temperature. Add 1 teaspoon of the sole mix and drink up!

If it’s too salty or strong at first then add half the amount of sole and work your way up.

Sole side effects

Because sole is a means of cleansing the body you may have some side effects at first. I personally didn’t experience any side effects that I can remember. Loose stools can happen because the salt can promote digestion. If this happens then start slowly.

According to Salt & Water The Essence of Life,

….salt supports the expression of symptoms….This process oftentimes results in an initial aggravation of the symptoms, as with homeopathy.” In reference to kidney and gallbladder stones the author notes, “the passing of the loosened, dissolved stones can be painful but the body will have managed the process on its own, without surgery.”

I originally bought my crystal salt rocks in May, 2013 and am just now about to order another box (a year and half later!). This is one of the most affordable and approachable things you can do for your health on a daily basis.

Once considered a precious commodity, salt has been labeled a “bad food” for many years prompting food manufacturers to create a slew of “low sodium” and “sodium free products.” But is salt really that bad for us?

Salt, an edible crystal, has been treated historically as a precious luxury. The word salary comes from the root sal because Romans were paid in salt and African and European explorers traded salt for gold. Salt was literally worth its weight in gold.

Salt is essential for life and health.

Salt gives the oceans their character and our tears their salty flavor. According to trace-mineral expert Henry Schroeder, “life began in salinity, and cannot free itself therefrom.” Unrefined salt is essential for many of our bodily processed, including:

Salt is a major component of our blood, lymphatic fluid and even amniotic fluid

Salt is responsible for carrying nutrients in and out of our cells

The components of salt assist in the firing of neurons in our nervous system

Salt plays a key role in digestion. It is our major source of chloride, an important component of hydrochloric acid, which is needed for proper protein digestion.

Salt is often thought to be synonymous with sodium. However, there is more to salt than just this one ingredient. Salt is mostly made up mostly of sodium and chloride. Most commercial table salt is land-mined, whereas sea salt is obtained through the evaporation of seawater.

Remember, our bodies need whole foods that contain a variety of nutrients instead of foods that have been processed down into containing singular nutrients. Missing nutrients lead to imbalance leaving us prone to illness. Sea salt contains 78% sodium chloride and the remainder being made up of magnesium, calcium, potassium and other minerals and micro-minerals. USDA standards for table salt are set to be no less than 97.5% sodium chloride, the remainder being some magnesium and calcium and “approved additives.”

What about iodine?

Standard iodized salt includes potassium iodide to supplement iodine for those who may be deficient. However, when including iodine, dextrose (a type of sugar) is added to prevent the iodine from oxidizing. In turn, sodium bicarbonate is also added to keep the iodine from turning purple as well as various anti-caking agents to keep the salt from sticking.

Instead, iodine can be easily included in the diet through fish, seafood, sea vegetables like kombu and eggs.

When salt is a problem

More than 75% of the salt consumed in the U.S. comes from processed foods, mostly in the form of just sodium. Canned soups, frozen and pre-packaged meals, chips and pretzels, cereals, cheeses, condiments, dips and sauces, deli meats, breads and baked goods all contain large amounts of salt.

The problem is not the salt we add to our boiling water or pasta sauces, but the large amount of salt we consume through packaged foods and restaurant meals.

What kind of salt should I buy?

In short, just about any sea salt is better than an iodized white salt. Nearly every well-stock grocery store now sells sea salt in its natural foods section and it can also be purchased at health food stores and online.

Look for sea salt that has some color – pink or grey are most common. Salt evaporated directly from the sea is not pure white by nature. White sea salt has most likely been processed in some way to rid it of any color.